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Lesotho
At Stake: National Assembly
Background
A country within a country, Lesotho is a kingdom completely surrounded by South Africa. It was formerly known as Basutoland and was a British colony until Oct. 4, 1966.
After independence was declared, King Moshoeshoe II became Lesotho's sovereign ruler. He shared power with prime minister Leabua Jonathan, of the Basotho National Party (BNP). A few years passed before the country could accommodate to its new political model of parliamentary democracy.
King Moshoeshoe II was forced into exile in two occasions. The first one occurred in 1970, when Jonathan refused to accept the victory of the opposition Basutoland Congress Party (BCP) in the election and said the King should leave for a while. The second one took place in 1990, when the monarch was replaced by his son, Letsie III. That year, Justin Metsino Lekhanya, chairman of the military council, stripped the monarch of his executive power and later sent him into exile.
King Moshoeshoe II, however, returned to power in 1995. Demoted Prince Letsie III regained the crown in 1996 after his father died in a car accident. He remains Lesotho's head of state to this day.
Jonathan served as prime minister until 1986, when major-general Justin Lekhanya staged a coup against him. The military ruled the country for seven years. In 1993, a new constitution was proclaimed, which made the monarchy primarily symbolic and non-political.
In 1997, Ntsu Mokhehle, a former member of the BCP, founded the Lesotho Congress of Democrats (LCD). The LCD won the 1998 election, which the opposition deemed fraudulent. Violence broke in Lesotho and South African, and Botswanan forces had to intervene to stop it.
Pakalitha Mosisili has served as prime minister since May 1998. He won a second term in May 2002.
The main problems of Lesotho's population of two million are poverty and a scarcely developed infrastructure. Most of the country's territory is mountainous which makes mobility very difficult.
Lesotho also holds the infamous record of having one of the highest rates of HIV infections in the world. A 2003 estimate showed 28 per cent of adults were infected.
Practically everyone in the country is ethnic Sotho. Both English and Sesotho are official languages.
2007 National Assembly Election
On Feb. 17, 2007, voters in Lesotho will renew the National Assembly. Lesotho is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The country is divided in ten administrative districts. The constitution provides that the leader of the party holding a majority in the National Assembly is automatically the country's prime minister.
The legislative branch, comprised by the National Assembly and a Senate, is not entirely independent from the executive branch of government. The 33 members of the Senate are appointed, not elected by popular vote.
On Dec 1, Lesotho prime minister Pakalitha Mosisili called for anticipated elections, and gave the country's residents one week to register in order to be eligible to vote. The decision was made after Parliament was dissolved due to infighting within the ruling party, the Lesotho Congress of Democrats (LCD).
In October, Lesotho foreign minister Tom Thabane resigned from the LCD and founded his own party, the All Basotho Convention (ABC). Eighteen members of parliament followed Thabane and joined the ABC. The ensuing political crisis triggered the call for an early ballot.
Thabane has launched an official complaint before the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), alleging that the prime minister is plotting against his new party by giving them no time to organize and run a proper campaign.
In January 2007, Thabane discussed the current state of affairs, saying, "Instead of using security to deliver on policies—poverty, infrastructure, HIV/AIDS—the government went into a state of self-indulgence, for example, raising ministers salaries."
Deputy prime minister Archibald Lesao Lehohla said the current administration should be given credit for successes in areas such as poverty alleviation and free elementary school for all children, adding, "Our premier priority was stability. This we have achieved."
Voting took place on Feb. 17. Official results released on Feb. 21 gave the governing Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) 61 seats, followed by the National Independent Party (NIP) with 21 mandates, the All Basotho Convention (ABC) with 17 mandates, and the Lesotho Workers' Party (LWP) with 10 seats.
Political Players
King: Letsie III
Prime minister: Pakalitha Mosisili - LCD
Legislative Branch: The Parliament has two chambers. The National Assembly has 120 members, elected to five-year terms; 80 members in single-seat constituencies and 40 members by proportional representation. The Senate has 33 nominated members.
Results of Last Election:
National Assembly - Feb. 17, 2007
Seats | |
Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD) | 61 |
National Independent Party (NIP) | 21 |
All Basotho Convention (ABC) | 17 |
Lesotho Workers' Party (LWP) | 10 |
Alliance of Congress Parties (ACP) | 3 |
Basotho National Party (BNP) | 3 |
Basotho Democratic National Party (BDNP) | 1 |
Basotho Batho Democratic Party (BBDP) | 1 |
Popular Front for Democracy (PFD) | 1 |
Marematlou Freedom Party (MFP) | 1 |
Postponed - Makhaleng Constituency | 1 |